Passover is a uniquely Jewish holiday, with four cups of wine, matzah, 10 plagues, and the central Seder plate. Though traditions and rituals vary among families and different cultures, the Passover story, retold each year, celebrates freedom during the Exodus from...
Month: June 2015
Archives
Passover seders and more in Tidewater
Looking for a seat at a seder or a way to learn more about Passover in Tidewater? Check out this listing to see all that is taking place for the holiday around town. ✡Chabad of Tidewater Passover SedersSeders are led by Rabbis Margolin and BrashevitskyFirst Night...
Yom Hashoah 2024 Community Holocaust Commemoration
Sunday, May 5, 6:45 pm Temple Emanuel The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites the community to attend the annual Holocaust Day Remembrance, Yom Hashoah.The Commemoration will feature survivor and scholar Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, a...
Middle School Movie
Sunday, April 14Cinema Café, Kemps River Something is happening for everyone on Sunday, April 14. While the rest of the family participates in Sunday Fun Day, middle school aged children can enjoy time at the movies with friends while the visibility of eye rolls will...
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club
Sunday, April 28, 10 am, Temple Emanuel The Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club will continue with its second book, The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the Search for Meaning, which was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. Rabbi Sacks was...
A twist on tradition
The smell of fresh cookies baking filled the Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, March 10 for the annual “Operation Hamantaschen” PJ Library event.Children, parents, grandparents, and friends put on colorful aprons, pushed up their sleeves, and dove into the delicious,...
Rabbi Israel Zoberman: recognized for 50 years of rabbinic service
Rabbi Israel Zoberman with his certificate of “surviving” 50 years (1974-2024) in the rabbinate. He received an Honorary Life Membership from the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) at its national convention last month in Philadelphia, Pa.In recognition of...
April Sunday Fun Day celebrates Spring
Sunday April 14, 1 – 4 pm Sandler Family Campus Gather friends and family and head to the Simon Family JCC for an afternoon of spring-themed games, music, crafts, and a sweet treat. Come see familiar faces and meet new ones.This event is hosted by PJ Library in...
Celebrating mentorship: Be a Reader (BeAR) plans end-of-year luncheon Friday, April 12
As the school year wraps up, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Be a Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project will honor its amazing mentors at the End-of-Year Mentor Appreciation Luncheon. This event is all about saying thank you for the incredible work the BeAR mentors...
Yom Ha’Atzmaut community gathering in honor of Israel’s76th anniversary
Sunday, May 19, 12-3 pm, Sandler Family Campus An afternoon for community members of all ages filled with all-things-Israel where attendees can learn more about Israeli people, art, music, food, and history through myriad activities led by Camp JCC, the Tidewater...
Israeli Chef’s Table Experience with Chef Yaniv Cohen
Thursday, May 16, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus, $54 or $72 with a signed book Israeli Chef, Yaniv Cohen, also known as The Spice Detective, will prepare and serve an exclusive menu. Dinner will include an Israeli wine bar and an opportunity to hear how growing up in a...
Ohef Sholom Temple’s Kiddush Cup: A Golf Tournament
Wednesday, May 22, 1 pmCypress Point Golf Course It’s been a long time since Ohef Sholom hit the links, but congregants and friends are about to have the opportunity to swing the clubs together again for a fantastic cause – the temple. The Ohef Sholom Temple Kiddush...
Al Gore, hundreds of mourners hail ‘supreme mensch’ Joe Lieberman at pioneering Jewish politician’s funeral
Luke Tress (JTA) Alison Sharaf, a staffer for Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2000, remembers the moment she heard that he would be making history. Sharaf, then a manager in Lieberman’s Hartford office, was confident that Al Gore would pick her boss to be his running mate on...
The Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community is celebrating 20 years!
To commemorate this milestone 20th anniversary, Jewish News is planning a special section in the May 13 issue. We invite you to share your personal stories, memories, and photos of being on the Sandler Family Campus since 2004. Think about all the reasons that brought...
Purim has fun with a serious situation
The Purim festival is an extraordinary fun-making of costumes and masks, which in a pandemic, save lives threatening all. The holiday masks and matches the extraordinary seriousness of the life and death issues behind it, allowing for the healthy release of pent-up...
You could (almost) eat the dishes!
In what may be the “sweetest” gala ever presented in its 31-year run, the 2024 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film celebrated the life and work of the late actor Gene Wilder during its “Wonka-themed” Saturday Night Celebration on Feb. 24. Remembering Gene Wilder was...
Thinking outside the triangle this Purim
I’ll be honest with you. I have never been a big fan of mass produced hamantaschen. I am generally not a sweets guy, but what I always found particularly underwhelming was the thick crust. When I worked in a bakery in Israel, we would start selling “oznei haman”...
Appreciation for Sandlers’ work in Tidewater and Romania
Dear Editor,As the mother-in-law of a Romanian, Elena, I am very appreciative of the Sandlers’ work in Romania.I’m a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and a relative newcomer to Hampton Roads (2011). We moved here after retiring to help care for our grand babies while...
Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club delves into Future Tense
The inaugural session of the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Community Book Club took place on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Congregation Beth El. Participants included congregants of area synagogues as well as those without affiliation. As part of the series, sponsored by the Simon Family...
Knowledge is key
Israel’s war with Hamas has inflamed vocal and aggressive antisemitism and anti-Zionism that has not been witnessed in the United States for many generations. Heated discussions have ensued, often with discrepancies about the facts.Helping to equip readers with basic...
Torah returned to USS Harry S. Truman
The Truman Holocaust Torah was returned to its home aboard the USS Harry S. Truman on Sunday, March 3 after being safeguarded at Temple Israel for the past year while the ship underwent repairs.The ceremony for the Torah’s return, which took place onboard the ship at...
The story of the Truman Torah
VADM Herman Shelanski (retired) and Captain USS Harry S Truman 2016-2019It was President Truman who, despite contrary advice from his cabinet and closest advisors, was the first head of state in the world to recognize Israel on May 14, 1948. For this boldness, Hyman...
Reflections from Israel and my 50th birthday
My family’s winter visit to Israel was a gift for my 50th birthday. This trip held special significance as my mother, born to Holocaust survivors, accompanied me, along with one of my brothers who hadn’t set foot in Israel for 31 years. Our journey was not a typical...
Barr Foundation’s Torah Pointers gifted to The Fralin Museum of Art
First major gift of Judaica in the University of Virginia’s history The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia will expand its holdings with a promised gift of more than 150 Torah pointers, or yads, from Clay H. Barr and the Barr Foundation. This marks the...
Antisemitism: A far deeper problem than can be imagined
America is experiencing a strong uptick in antisemitism, especially on our college campuses. Jewish students feel unsafe and numerous attacks have been registered. University presidents have struggled to admit that advocating for the genocide of Jews is against school...
Virginia’s Attorney General’s letter to UVA board calls for moral clarity
On Friday, March 1, Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote the UVA Board of Visitors about a student led BDS referendum at the school. The complete text of the letter follows: I write to you today with grave concern about the recent student-led referendum at the...
Estate Planning: One of the best ways to demonstrate caring
Addressing the sensitive topics of money, mortality, and family relationships can be challenging, especially when it involves estate planning. The hesitation to have the discussion often stems from the perceived complexity and emotional weight of making decisions...
Camp JCC is the place to be: Don’t miss out
Registration for Camp JCC Summer 2024 is off to a very promising start – after all, it is “the place to be” this summer. In fact, enrollment is significantly higher compared to this point last year, with many of the families who have registered new to camp. Based on...
Reflections on overnight camp
For day campers, camp instills lessons, skills, and experiences that are not found in most classrooms . . . including learning new games, spending days with new friends, perfecting the best- looking roasted marshmallow, and just plain having lots of fun.Overnight camp...
Work at summer camp is inspiring
During the final days of staff training, camp directors across the country ask their teams to close their eyes and think about who their favorite camp counselors were and what was it about that person that made them special. What were their qualities? What interests...
It’s a Wrap: 2024 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film
The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg wrapped up on Wednesday, Feb. 28. This year’s festival, which included five feature films in addition to a special event showcasing four Israeli short films, was attended by more than 600...
KIDdish
Welcome to Kiddish, a Jewish News column celebrating little people – their first introductions, milestones, simchas, and accomplishments. Sharing these special moments and achievements with Jewish Tidewater creates a collective kvell! Harding Parkes Nusbaum Born...